Eight areas retain Green Flag Award status in Wrexham

Eight areas in Wrexham have retained their Green Flag Status – the international mark of a quality park or green space.

Acton Park, Alyn Waters Country Park, Bellevue Park, Ponciau Banks Park, Ty Mawr Country Park and Wrexham Cemetery gained the ‘full award’ with community award winners Maes y Pant and Plas Pentwyn – they will all be flying their flags for the next 12 months.

Flags are awarded for areas that have excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards and commitment to delivery great quality green space, with Wrexham’s 8 being substantially more than nearby Flintshire’s 3.

Cllr David A Bithell, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “It’s once again a pleasure the hear this news and thanks must go to the staff and volunteers who are committed to ensuring the quality of our green spaces remains of a high quality.

“It’s particularly good news this week as we have just agreed that ten of our country parks will now be protected for future generations under the Open Green Spaces initiative operated by Fields in Trust.

“In recent months our parks and open spaces have proved to be particularly valuable areas natural beauty and we are committed to protect and maintain them to ensure they can continue to be used for environment and well-being purposes.”

248 parks and green spaces across the country have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award – from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government. Independent green space experts volunteered their time in early autumn to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.

Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said, “The pandemic showed us just how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities. With more visitors than ever enjoying our green spaces, I’d like to congratulate the hard work of staff and volunteers who have maintained excellent standards at these sites.”

Julie James, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Climate Change, said: “Green spaces are vital for mental and physical well-being and throughout the pandemic we have seen how important these spaces have been for local communities. Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites and it is fantastic to see more places in Wales receiving Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award. These landscapes play a vital role in delivering rich ecosystems and vibrant and resilient communities, and I congratulate all of the sites for providing excellent, year-round facilities and events for people in Wales.